a7R as a sports camera at NBA games

[Robert Crawford]

I shot my a7R with my FE 55/1.8 today at an NBA game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks.

 

Same images are posted on Facebook here:  https://www.facebook.com/robertcrawfordwis/media_set?set=a.829235340445119.1073742014.100000759819582&type=1&pnref=story

 

I shot 1,033 RAW images on a single battery.  I still had an 8% charge remaining on the battery when I shut down.

 

I shot in APS-C crop mode with the FE 55, giving me an effective reach of 82 mm.  I left the aperture wide open all day at f1.8.

 

I experimented with AF-C and AF-S.  The focus in both modes was acceptable.  Most of my shots were in bursts using the "speed priority continuous" drive mode.

 

My shutter was 1/200th with an ISO of 320.

 

I used an FE 55/1.8 because the NBA allows "small cameras" with lenses shorter than 3.0 inches (as measured at the turn style by using a credit card or a state driver's license).  The FE 55 is 2.8 inches in length and therefore passes muster.  In Milwaukee, the same 3" rule applies for rock concerts.

 

In three days I'll attend another NBA game and I'll use a rented Leica 90/2.0.  This lens is 3.07" in length, but I hope no one will call me on the extra 0.07".  This 90mm Leica is FF and I'll shot it in APS-C crop mode for an effective reach of 135 mm.

 

For the past two years I've shot NBA games using my Olympus OM-D E-M1 and an Olympus m4/3 75 mm/1.8.  The Olympus 75mm/1.8 is a beautiful lens.  The micro four thirds  format gives me a 2x crop over FF.  Further, Olympus includes a 2x digital magnification in the menu.  Thus, when I'm shooting with the E-M1 and 75mm, my effective reach is 150 mm/f1.8 (or 300 mm FF equivalent).  I shoot nice in-camera JPG's with this set up, and I generate a 16 MB RAW image for editing, too.  I'm fond of my little Olympus kit for sports.

 

Today was the first time I tried my a7R at an NBA game.  I was happy with my images.  I generally set a custom white balance. During my post processing of my a7R images I noticed that the custom white balance was too warm and Lightroom's auto white balance setting gave a cooler, more pleasing image.  At the next NBA game, I'll use the AWB setting in the a7R and see how the images turn out.  The Milwaukee arena has one end which is brighter than the other end.  I have to account for that when following the action from one end of the court to the other end.

 

Both my a7R and my E-M1 are easily used in an arena seat without offending other fans.  The bodies and the lenses are small.  I hold the camera so that I don't bother fans sitting around me.  (I occasionally lean on my wife when following a shot, but I stay off the stranger sitting on my other side.)

 

The Milwaukee Brewers baseball teams allows any camera and lens into games.  For major league baseball, I buy a ticket in the front row and have a good time taking photos with my Olympus gear, including the Olympus 150 mm/ 2.0 and a 1.4x teleconverter (212 mm m4/3 and 424 mm FF equivalent).

[Robert Crawford]

_{The manual focus Leica APO Summicron-M 2.0/90 is a great lens for shooting NBA basketball when paired with my Sony a7R.  At the game tonight between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers, I shot 818 raw images with the Leica 2.0/90. I had 18% remaining on my battery.}

 

_{To view the images, go here: https://www.facebook.com/robertcrawfordwis/media_set?set=a.830448763657110.1073742016.100000759819582&type=1&pnref=story}

 

_{Image stabilization will be nice -- a9 or a7R II.  I'd like five axis stabilization when using non-native lenses.}

 

_{I'll buy the Leica 2.0/90 for sports and music concerts.  It's small and the small size coupled with the diminutive a7R gets you post the ushers at the turn style.}

[Yorg]

Interesting to hear about your experience of a camera that is supposed to be unsuitable for sports.

I don't have facebook, so when I click your link I can't see anything.

[Jimmy Goodwood]

Mee Too. No Facebook. Can't see the pictures.

[Max the Dog]

Robert, this statement is incorrect  -  "I shot in APS-C crop mode with the FE 55, giving me an effective reach of 82 mm."

 

This statement is correct "I shot in APS-C crop mode with the FE 55, giving me an effective field of view of 82 mm"  (actually 82.5)

 

Nothing magical happens when you switch to crop mode.  There is no 1.5x reach advantage to APSc sensors or crop modes when the pixel densities are the same. 

 

The ONLY reach factor gains are made through smaller pixel um sizes and thus greater densities.  You'd be better off either using the full frame, or if reach is an issue, a dense APSc (24mp) or a 4/3. 

 

Sounds like your Oly kit is a very good solution for this.

 

Shoot a gray card if you're having WB problems with the Sony,  I'm guessing the arenas have consistent light for the tv cameras so you should be ok. 

 

Congratulations on your medal in the World Championships. 

[revdocjim]

If he's in the stands a gray card won't be of much help since it's the light hitting the court that needs to be measured, and it is typically very different from the ambient light in the stands.

Robert, it looks like you're having a fun time. But I'm surprised you haven't done more editing with your images. Many of them would benefit from some simple cropping and rotating.

Thanks for sharing.

[effectivereach]

Robert, this statement is incorrect  -  "I shot in APS-C crop mode with the FE 55, giving me an effective reach of 82 mm."

 

This statement is correct "I shot in APS-C crop mode with the FE 55, giving me an effective field of view of 82 mm"  (actually 82.5)

 

Nothing magical happens when you switch to crop mode.  There is no 1.5x reach advantage to APSc sensors or crop modes when the pixel densities are the same. 

 

The ONLY reach factor gains are made through smaller pixel um sizes and thus greater densities.  You'd be better off either using the full frame, or if reach is an issue, a dense APSc (24mp) or a 4/3. 

 

Sounds like your Oly kit is a very good solution for this.

 

Shoot a gray card if you're having WB problems with the Sony,  I'm guessing the arenas have consistent light for the tv cameras so you should be ok. 

 

Congratulations on your medal in the World Championships. 

 

82mm isn't a field of view. Perhaps you mean, effective field of view as an 82mm lens. In which case, the same can be said to his argument, that cropping gives an effective reach of an 82mm lens (also have to keep into account the effective aperture).

 

"Nothing magical happens when you switch to crop mode.  There is no 1.5x reach advantage"

 

It helps for framing, and we all know what he meant. Compared to the standard frame, you get the effective reach of an 82mm lens. This is a fact. It only becomes fiction when you misunderstand what the word "effective" means

[Golem]

I can see where Max may, once in every century, have a useful

techy point. His idea about the grey card is supported by his idea

that lighting most likely is really about the same color both on the

court and in the stands, both for the TV crowd shots and also the

close shots of fans with message signs or painted faces, and also

just from light spilling over since the ceilings are very high.

   

Max is often exactly technically correct about stuff that isn't of any

real world consequence, but in this case I can see his advice as

being practical and useful. More of that would be very cool, Max ! 

   

` 

[Max the Dog]

Practical - useful.

 

https://sonyvnikon.wordpress.com/2015/05/12/dynamic-range-resolution-14-bit-color-nikon-delivers/

 

https://sonyvnikon.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/high-desert.jpg

[UnionCityBlues]

The Leica Leica Telephoto 90mm f/2.0 APO Summicron M Aspherical Manual Focus Lens,  6-Bit, is a huge lens compared to the R7 body and utter unusable in sports photography.

 

I own one. And a Leica M240 and an A7R.

 

This is one reason why you have proportionally so few action images (?). Sharp as Hell, and then some but an absolute pig to focus, the barrel movement is so great.

 

It helps that basket ball is played on such a small court.

 

Have you tried portraits with it at 2.0? Extraordinary.

[gatormac2112]

The biggest problem with using crop mode on your A7R is the drop in resolution you get. Using crop mode places the A7R at around 15MP.....a huge drop from the 36MP you might have thought you were getting. You would have been better served using the 55mm with an A6000, thus getting the same field of view but at a true 24MP. And its a smaller camera to boot. With better autofocusing and tracking. But maybe you only have the A7R, so did what you had to do. I probably would have kept it in FF mode though.